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Best Places/Things to do for Free in Britain.

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Vacations (Holidays as the Brits would say), can be expensive. However, Fab1 has discovered (& tested out) a number of places / events that can be done for free. Before I mention these, I would like to tip you off about the 2 for the price of 1 entry available in places up and down the land for those who present a rail ticket - even if it is just a cheap ticket from the next station up the line. When you arrive at a station with gates that open, you insert your ticket & the chances are that you will not see that ticket again; so, instead of putting it into the slot, go to a member of staff & say that you need to retain the ticket. Be sure to go to the information desk to pick up the booklet for your destination (if one is available). The booklet will contain details of the places in on the deal - which includes some of London's top attractions. Eg. Tower of London = £22 for 2 instead of 1; City Cruises = £18 for 2 instead of 1. The back of the booklet contains 6 vouchers to fill in when you present your rail ticket. Underground / Oyster tickets are not valid. Details here:>
www.daysoutguide.co.uk Rail fares & schedules here:- www.nationalrail.co.uk

Now, to kick things off with my list of Great British Freebies - which I am sure that others will add to.

  1. Trooping The Colour celebrates the Queen's birthday. Be on the Mall on the day in June (Saturday 14 June in 2014) and see the Royals go by on horses or in carriages. www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk

  2. The British Museum, London. http://www.britishmuseum.org
    Tip > just behind the British Museum & a 3 minute walk NE is Russell Square which is a lovely place to chill out.

  3. St.Fagans Castle & Museum of Welsh Life. This is really a Manor House built in the mid 1500's along with surrounding gardens. However, what makes this place really different is that the extensive grounds contain Welsh buildings of architectural significance that have been removed and then re-erected on this site. A 17 minute bus ride from Cardiff city centre (32/320) .
    www.museumwales.ac.uk/stfagans

  4. The Natural History Museum, London. Free but some exhibits are chargeable. www.nhm.ac.uk

  5. The Big Pit Coal Mine, Blaenavon, south Wales. Here you can go down a disused coal mine and learn about the life of miners. Parking is £3. It is about a 30 minutes drive from M4 junction 25/26 (Newport). Blaenavon is a World Heritage Site as it was here that the industrial revolution started. A good idea is to combine Big Pit with a visit to the Brecon Beacons National Park or Raglan Castle & lower Wye Valley (Tintern etc) both reached from Blaenavon via B4266.
    www.museumwales.ac.uk/bigpit
    https://www.beacons-npa.gov.uk
    www.visitwales.com/explore/south-wales/wye-valley-vale-usk
    www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/tinternabbey/?lang=en
    www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/raglancastle/?lang=en
    http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/chepstow-castle/?lang=en
    PS. All of the above are within a 1 hour drive of Bath / Cardiff.

  6. Henley Royal Regatta (Rowing). A great show of mainly higher socio-economic groups at play. So, how do you get in for free? Well, the public footpath running alongside the Thames goes right through the site so that means you have the right to use it for free. Either side, you will see enclosures for various organisations / clubs / and then come to areas where the public can buy food & drink. You will also see grassy areas where those who pay, park their cars & picnic. You can get some idea of what to expect here: > https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=henley+regatta+dress+code&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Oq99U4LnJOLm7Abv-IDQDg&ved=0CEQQsAQ&biw=1558&bih=970
    www.hrr.co.uk (2 > 6 July 2014)
    Train from Paddington to Henley-on-Thames with 1 change at Twyford. www.nationalrail.co.uk (PAD > HOT return) (You can also use trains from anywhere else. They will be crowded as will the Thames Path).

Posted by
67 posts

I will be in London on the 14th! Never thought I'd get a chance to actually see the Royals. How many hours in advance should we get on the parade route and when could we expect it to be finished? It says 1030 and various salutes over the next few hours.

Posted by
2405 posts

Well 'klecser' - good job you read my post!

People will be going to the parade route probably from about 9am. No doubt, a few die hards will 'camp out' overnight to bag a space. You will find that your photos will come out best if you go to the St.James' Park side of the Mall as you will have the sun behind you giving better lighting of the participants. Furthermore, if you go towards the Admiralty Arch end of The Mall, you will also be able to hear the bands playing on Horse Guards Parade while they 'Troop The Colour'. Just don't get stuck behind a policeman!
After the parade, it is probable that crowds will be 'walked' down The Mall to Buckingham Palace from the Admiralty Arch end.

You will have the added advantage on The Mall of being under trees - thus giving you shelter from the blazing sun - yes, you can get sunburnt in Britain. Should it be raining, the leaves will also give some shelter.

Royals on horseback will be in military uniform - so look carefully!

The parade on Horse Guards normally finishes about noon & then the whole lot make their way back to Buck Palace. The Royals will appear on the balcony and the RAF will fly over at 1pm.

The event will be shown live on BBC 1 & is usually repeated (highlights) in the evening on BBC 2. (The channels will be 1 / 2. If the set has HD - try 101 / 102).

Posted by
16 posts

You can get the 2-for-1 tickets with the bus company "National Express Coach", also. We saw online that there was a train/tube strike so we reserved (& paid online) National Express Coach tickets from Heathrow to London. We printed out our tickets, along with the paperwork for the 2-for-1 deals, which are on their website. Unlike the train, the bus does not eat your tickets. It's a very comfy ride-- there's even a bathroom on the bus.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/waystosave/2for1-offers.aspx

Posted by
5835 posts

Walking holidays. We've enjoyed our English (and Scottish) walking holidays. The walking part is free and slow travel puts you in close touch with the land, the sights and the people.

Do an internet search for "English walking holidays" for self guided tour packagers. We used Contours Walking Holidays. They provided itineraries, maps, guides, luggage transport services and B&B accommodations for the walking holiday.
https://www.contours.co.uk/index.php

Our first walk was the Coast to Coast inspired by the Smithsonian article about the Wainwright route: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-walk-across-england-89547636/
After two or three days of village to village walking across northern England, we bonded with other walking groups and solo walkers from England, Australia ( the one with kangaroos), and even other North Americans. Sharing a pint or two with fellow walkers - the conversation was free.

We were booked into a mix of small country inns and B&B homes. Our B&B hosts were all welcoming people (as were innkeepers). Our B&B hostess in Grasmere waited for us in her garden to greet us while we walked around looking for the home. Another in Kirkby Stevens on our rest day had her husband dry our boots by repeatedly stuffing dry newspaper into our boots. All memorable joys of slow travel.

And I can't remember ever thinking or being concerned about pickpockets or crime.

Posted by
5678 posts

You can do lots and lots of short day hikes in Scotland. Here's a great resource. Here are some places to consider for walking and other suggestions.

  1. Dunkeld Walks. This area has the added benefit of visiting the cathedral, and seeing the town which is quite lovely. Combine it with dinner at the Taybank for a musical session. The only cost should be your food. You can buy a map if you want in the TI.
  2. Glen Affric. And here's a PDF of some of the walks from the Forest Service.
  3. Ullapool. I really love the Ullapool walks.
  4. Strathnaver Trail. If you do get all the way to Betty Hill it will cost £2 to enter. The trail is free. The trail is fascinating and the museum can help you understand the story of the clearances. Undiscovered Scotland Feature Page for Betty Hill.
  5. The National Museum of Scotland. A wonderful place with exhibits that appeal to a wide range of interests.
  6. Riverside Museum Glasgow. I visited this museum when it was the Transport Museum. Now it's even better.
  7. Glasgow Cathedral. I revisited the Cathedral a couple of years ago and found it very interesting.
  8. Isle of Iona. You have to get yourself there, but once there the centre, the Abbey, the ruins of the nunnery and walks on the island are all free.

There are many more. And there are lots of ways to watch the cost. Research the passes. In Scotland, there is Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. Look at the membership costs and the pass costs and where you want to visit. If you want to visit Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and maybe two more sites and you've made your money back as a single adult. And for your £45.60 membership you also get a subscription to their magazine which is an ongoing souvenir. You can check out pricing for the different properties on their website. You can make the same calculations of the NTS. There are some privately held properties, but I felt I got a real benefit from Historic Scotland.

Pam

Posted by
9110 posts

There are no fees for humping the Cape Wrath Trail, either.

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